This article showcases our top picks for the best Illinois based News companies. These startups and companies are taking a variety of approaches to innovating the News industry, but are all exceptional companies well worth a follow.
We tried to pick companies across the size spectrum from cutting edge startups to established brands.
We selected these startups and companies for exceptional performance in one of these categories:
- Innovation
- Innovative ideas
- Innovative route to market
- Innovative product
- Growth
- Exceptional growth
- Exceptional growth strategy
- Management
- Societal impact
Top Illinois News Startups
Data sourced from Crunchbase and SemRush.
Zebra Technologies
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Zebra Technologies is a global leader in barcode printing and RTLS technology including printers, RFID, software and supplies.
Built In
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Built In is a network of online communities for tech companies and startups.
The Black Sheep
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We’re a college newspaper that’s actually about college! We post drinking games, college recipes and more!
Cottage Door Press
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Cottage Door Press is publishes high-quality children’s books and believes that reading is learning! Beautiful books and gifts for babies.
Local Labs
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Local Labs is a leading innovator in the creation and delivery of hyperlocal data and news.
Rivet
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Rivet is an internet radio news application that provides local, national, and international news.
Daily Herald
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Daily Herald is a daily newspaper that covers news, business, and entertainment in Chicago’s suburbs.
Legacy.com
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Legacy.com is a commercial provider of online memorials that hosts online obituary sections for newspapers throughout the U.S.
BlockShopper
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BlockShopper is a local news and market data service for current and seeking homeowners, home buyers, and home sellers.
Dividend.com
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Dividend.com is a dedicated to dividend stock investing. We provide proprietary stock ratings, tools and news on dividend stocks.
The Onion
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The Onion is an American “fake news” organization featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news.
Storymix Media
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Storymix Media is a crowdsourced automated video creation platform for digital agencies and content marketers.
WOW
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WOW is an online content provider in entertainment, health, technology, food, lifestyle, family, sports, and finance.
Page Foundry
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Page Foundry provides a white-label content platform that enables customer acquisition, engagement and retention.
Riverside
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Riverside is a government agency that provides news and events information happening surrounding area in Riverside.
RealClearPolitics
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RealClearPolitics is a political website that publishes commentaries, news, polling data, and links.
Chicago Sun-Times
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The Chicago Sun Times is a distinctly Chicago company, with a reputation for having the backs of working women and men.
EnsembleIQ
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EnsembleIQ is a premier business intelligence resource that exists to help people and their organizations succeed.
Chicago Tribune
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Chicago Tribune is a daily newspaper that features local and international news, along with in-depth coverage of sports, business, and more.
News Navigator
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Provides users with more control over the news they receive.
Briefing.com
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Briefing.com provides independent, live market analysis of the U.S. and international equity markets.
Pitchfork
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Pitchfork is an online publication that covers indie rock, hip-hop, electronic, pop, metal, and experimental music.
Attack of the Fanboy
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Online media platform that covers video game news, video game reviews, game guides and more.
King Lizzy Creative
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King Lizzy Creative is a for-profit social enterprise in Humboldt Park, Chicago with a mission to provide strategic branding.
Newslocker
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Newslocker, News by relevance and topic around the world
Real Clear Science
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Real Clear Science is an online resource that offers opinion, news, analysis, and videos related to science.
EveryBlock
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EveryBlock is a neighborhood news and discussion site that contains a mix of conversations, news and civic data from U.S. cities.
The National Law Review
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The National Law Review is an online legal publication website focusing on breaking legal news for business and legal professionals.
Social News Daily
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Social News Daily is an online platform that offers the latest news on social media networks.
TownNews.com
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TownNews.com provides content management systems (CMS) and revenue solutions for publishers in the media industry.
BleedingCool
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BleedingCool is a blog that offers news, reviews, previews, features, interviews, videos, columns, and a place for comic book readers.
Strimm
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Strimm is SaaS TV platform, which allows anyone create their own linear TV network online out of virtually any video content.
Morris Herald-News
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Morris Herald-News is a weekly publication.
Rough Cut Films
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Rough Cut Films is an independent feature film company dedicated to producing appealing and original films.
Crain’s Chicago Business
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Crain’s Chicago Business is an online and offline publication l that provides its users with articles and insights related to business.
Weigel Broadcasting Co.
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Weigel Broadcasting Co. is a broadcast media company that offers services in Chicago.
Belleville News Democrat
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The Belleville News-Democrat is the leading source of news in Southwestern Illinois.
Visionary Financial (VF)
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Revolutionizing digital asset media and introducing first to market decentralized crypto sector investing
Northwest Herald
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The Northwest Herald, a division of Shaw Media, is the only daily newspaper published in McHenry County.
NewsTribune
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NewsTribune is an online and in-print newspaper & media production company.
WBEZ
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Public radio station offering public broadcasting feeds, local program schedule, events, listener requests and audio archives.
Hyde Park Herald
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The Hyde Park Herald, Chicago’s oldest community newspaper since 1882.
Votus, Inc.
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Votus is a technology platform for civic data and engagement. Organizations use Votus to connect online engagement to offline civic goals.
RealClearMarkets
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Topics and discussions of market-related news from the world of business, economics, finance, and the political economy.
Honest Reporting
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HonestReporting monitors the news for bias, inaccuracy, or other breach of journalistic standards in coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Shaw Suburban Media
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Shaw Media is a Dixon, Illinois-based publisher, of about 80 newspapers and news websites in Illinois and Iowa.
Bugle Newspapers
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Bugle Newspapers is a publishing company that provides news, sports and lifestyle articles through newspapers and online platforms.
Alton Daily News
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Alton Daily News is the Riverbend’s one and only community radio station & with studios located in Alton, IL.
Guy Counseling
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Guy Counseling is a health, wellness, and lifestylesite for men. Dedicated to helping readers become wiser men.
Poetry Foundation
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The Poetry Foundation is a Chicago-based American foundation created to promote poetry in the wider culture.
Men’s Variety
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Men’s Variety is a health, wellness, and lifestylesite website for men. Dedicated to helping men everywhere. The playbook for men!
Gold Nugget Publications
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Gold Nugget Publications is a media house that publishes four weekly community newspapers and is for the local community.
Sun Times Media Group
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Sun-Times Media Group is a Chicago-based newspaper publisher.
Urgent Communications
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Urgent Communications is a weblog that features news, analysis, and commentary related to the communications technology industry.
Reverse Mortgage Daily
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Reverse Mortgage Daily provides breaking news and information to professionals in the industry.
The State Journal-Register
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The State Journal-Register is an online news portal that publishes news about sports, breaking news, entertainment and lifestyle.
Hacking the President Film Partners
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Fund this movie and you’ll appear in the book!
Aledo Times Record
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Aledo Times Record is a newspaper and media production company that provides sports and entertainment news.
Website Magazine
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Website Magazine offers web professionals with articles related to search engine optimization, web design, e-commerce, marketing, and more.
Christianity Today
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Christianity Today is a non-profit organization that publishes religion-based content, news and advertisement.
Gyst Audio
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Gyst Audio creates audio versions of popular online content
Symmetry
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Symmetry is an online magazine about particle physics and its connections to other aspects of life and science.
United States Soccer Federation (USSF)
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United States Soccer Federation (USSF) is the official provider of news, information and live feeds on soccer.
CollegeFashionista
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CollegeFashionista is a collegiate community and media platform.
Questia
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Questia Media operates Questia, an online commercial digital library of books and articles with an academic orientation.
Journal-Courier
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Journal-Courier is an American daily newspaper published in Jacksonville, Illinois.
mycarrollcountynews.com
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mycarrollcountynews.com provides news about the stock market, sports, schools and weather.
Hypable
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Hypable is an online platform that features articles about the latest in the entertainment arena.
Juggle.com
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Juggle.com, a leading online reference resource.
Chicago Reader
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Chicago Reader is a free weekly newspaper that offers the latest local and international news.
INDISTRY
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An iOS and Android mobile app as well as web app, INDISTRY is an interactive streaming service that offers content shaped by its audience.
tv.adpost123.com
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LIVE TAMIL TV CHANNEL asianet news asian
Becker’s ASC Review
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Becker’s ASC Review provides business and clinical news, analysis and guidance.
Quincy Media
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Quincy Media is a family-owned media company that owns and operates television stations in 16 markets, newspapers in two markets.
Chicago Creative Space
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Chicago Creative Space showcases creative office spaces located in Chicago.
INSTORE
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INSTORE is an online news provider and magazine publisher for the American jewellery business.
MD Edge.com
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MDedge offers physicians and healthcare professionals news, content, tools, and learning programs from trusted and credited sources.
UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.)
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UMI is a publishing company providing Biblical resources to African American churches.
WAND-TV
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WAND-TV is the number one local news source in Central Illinois providing news from the strongest and most experienced journalism team.
WATT Global Media
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WATT Global Media provides business content and solutions to the agribusiness industry.
Program Productions, Inc.
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Program Productions, Inc. is a broadcast media company based in Illinois.
Journal Star
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Journal Star is a newspaper company that provides breaking news, sports, entertainment, and obituaries.
HexWar Games
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Digital board and wargame developers and publishers.
Mondoweiss
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Mondoweiss is a news website devoted to covering American foreign policy in the Middle East, chiefly from a progressive Jewish perspective.
behindthechair.com
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behindthechair.com offers salon-related articles, collections, step-by-steps, and business support services.
PR Daily
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PR Daily is a news website that features daily news, advice, and, opinions related to public relations, marketing, social media, and more.
RealClear Education
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RealClearEducation, part of the RealClearPolitics family of news and analysis websites.
Notably
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Everything you need to take the perfect road trip, or discover the wonders of the world around you…
Innovation Post
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Innovation Post is a newspaper that deals with industrial policy and technologies.
Story Street Labs
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Story Street Labs is a global social platform for writing, reading, and sharing creative stories in short-form.
Morton Times-News
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Morton Times-News provides local news, sports and opinions for the current Mortonites.
American Academy of Periodontology
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American Academy of Periodontology provides updates on periodontal news and resources.
22nd Century Media LLC
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22nd Century Media is a newspapers company that offers local news and event updates.